


Which November Will You Return

by KazOfScotland



Series: KCAWS 30 Days Autumn Writing 2020 [12]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV), 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: 31 days of writing, Addiction, Canon drug use, Gen, Keep Calm and Write Something, Military Buck, Overdose, The Strands Adopted Buck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:21:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27138616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazOfScotland/pseuds/KazOfScotland
Summary: Buck graduates and leaves for Basic Training. All TK wants to know is when he will be back.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & TK Strand, Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley & Owen Strand
Series: KCAWS 30 Days Autumn Writing 2020 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948771
Comments: 4
Kudos: 64
Collections: 31 Days of Writing Challenge - Fall 2020





	Which November Will You Return

June 2010

Seventeen year old Tyler ‘T.K.’ Strand watched as his slightly older brother graduated from high school and couldn’t help but smile. It appeared that at least one of the Strand kids was proving that they weren’t both a drug addicted failure. He had no idea how his older brother had managed it but graduation was here and their dad had tears in his eyes whilst he cheered and smiled.

Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley Strand had had a rougher start to life than T.K. had and it made the younger teenager regret his actions but he wasn’t ready to accept that he needed help just yet. He did everything that he could but the high that he got made everything in his life make sense but as he watched Buck graduate and the pride flow off their dad in buckets, he couldn’t help but wish that it was him who made their dad feel that way.

Little did he know that once the graduation ceremony was finished, it would be Buck disappointing their dad. It wasn’t the deep disappointment that T.K. had caused with his addiction, but the type of disappointment that came to a parent when their child made a decision that would put them in danger.But it was the type of disappointment that was filled with pride because of what that danger was. 

Buck paused as he approached both his younger brother and their father after he had officially graduated. His friends were all running over to their families for quick photographs to remember the occasion before they left to celebrate their freedom from high school. That wasn’t his plan though, he wanted to spend as much time with his dad and brother as possible because he had a bus to catch the next morning. He had known for weeks that it was coming but he hadn’t figured out how to tell his dad, how to tell anyone really, that he was leaving to join the military.

Now all that was left was to tell them. To walk up to them, take in a deep breath and say the words that had been repeating over and over again in his head. He could do this. He had decided that he wanted to be in the military, that meant potentially facing war, so he couldn’t be scared to tell his family.

It was as his dad, the Captain of Firehouse 252, wrapped his arm around his shoulders and whispered how proud he was, that Buck finally drew up the courage to speak up. To tell the two most important people in his life that he was leaving.

“Dad, I need to tell you and Ty something,” Buck spoke quietly, he was terrified to talk much above a whisper in case he had to face his dads disappointment and disdain for joining the military rather than becoming a firefighter like he was. He had already seen what it was like to be a complete disappointment to parents, and that was how he ended up in the Strand house to begin with. “I leave for basic training tomorrow morning,” he once again spoke in the low and quiet voice, expecting his dad to pull back so as to be able to yell at him, but instead all he felt was the tightening of the hug that he was already in.

“Then we better do all of our celebrating tonight then,” he could hear the heartbreak in his dads voice. He could see the tears running down T.K.’s cheeks. He knew that he had broken the hearts of his only remaining family. Maddie didn’t count anymore, after all she had left his life as soon as the Strand family had adopted him. And it was because of that that he never wanted to do this to his family.

“Sounds good, dad,” Buck replied before he wrapped his arm around T.K.‘s shoulder. He could feel the tension in his little brothers shoulders and couldn’t help but wonder what the cause of it was. He hoped that it wasn’t the fact that he was leaving. “Let’s head home.” 

The next morning as he finished packing his last bag of belongs that he was planning to take with him to basic training was when he got his answer about what was eating at T.K. The younger teenager had been stood against his doorframe for the last three minutes just curiously watching him. He made no comment or noise as he watched Buck decide what he was taking with him.

Buck however was going to let him bottle everything up. He was going to make sure that he had the answers before he left, because if he knew what was wrong maybe he would still be able to help. He knew that he was leaving but he wouldn’t leave and just forget his family. He refused to be anything like Maddie or his biological family.

“What’s up, Ty?” He knew that if he didn’t start the conversation then T.K. would avoid talking about it. They may not be related to each other by blood but it was the one trait that they were regularly accused of getting from their dad. 

“How long will you be gone?” Buck was surprised to hear how small T.K.‘s voice sounded. Recently the younger of the two Strand kids had been trying to sound as strong as he could and would not let anyone see him as week. But now, it seemed as though he was opening up.

“I’ll only be gone til November, Ty,” Buck said as he walked over to T.K. and pulled him in for a hug. He could feel the way that T.K. was shaking beneath his embrace, but he also knew that it was from more than just being nervous or cold. He knew that T.K. was struggling with his use of drugs.

“You’ll be back after that?”

“I’ll do my best, Ty. But I’ll be just at the end of the phone though, I promise.” He tightened his hold on T.K. as he spoke but once he was done he let go, stepped back and grabbed both his holdalls. “Okay, let’s go.” He knew that he couldn’t delay his departure much longer if he was to make it to his bus on time. 

December 2010

Buck hated that he was doing this, he hated that he was stuck in South America and was unable to make it home like he promised his brother. He hated that he couldn’t tell him why he hadn’t came home yet. He hated that he couldn’t answer the phone whenever he called.He hated that he was failing. 

He could do nothing at the moment, all he could do was sit there and listen to his dad tell him down the phone that T.K. had overdosed. He hated that he had missed all of the signs that his little brother had tried to kill himself on his eighteenth birthday.

‘When are you coming home, Ev?’ His dads question broke his heart. It wasn’t because he felt guilty about it. It was because he didn’t know if he was coming home, let alone when he was coming home. ‘I don’t want to lose you as well, Bud.’

“I don’t know, dad. Tell Ty that I’m sorry and I’ll speak to him soon. I love you.” He hung up then. Not because he wanted to but because he was needed. It was difficult to walk away but he had promised T.K. that he was only gone til November. He just hadn’t specified which November. But he would be back. 


End file.
